2021 BOARD REPORTS
Arkansas Department of Health : 2021 Annual Report
BY BALA SIMON , MD DEPUTY CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER
The Arkansas Department of Health has been at the helm of addressing the diverse needs of our state ’ s residents during the COVID-19 pandemic over the past year . The ADH continues to be driven by its mission of protecting and improving the health and well-being of all Arkansans . The COVID-19 pandemic has required an inordinate amount of the ADH ’ s resources and staff time as well as effort . Still , throughout it all , we strived to fulfill our basic overall mission through our multiple programs and outreach efforts described in this article . While COVID-19 became a leading cause of death in 2020 and 2021 , heart disease and cancer remained the top two leading causes of death in the state and the nation .
Arkansas identified its first confirmed COVID-19 case on March 11 , 2020 — the same day that COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic . The pandemic continued throughout 2021 , punctuated by a surge in cases due to the emergence of the Delta variant . A total of 328,174 people testing positive in that year alone resulted in 16,138 Arkansans hospitalized and 3,888 COVID-19-related deaths . The ADH steadily worked to provide and expand testing and vaccination to Arkansans . The ADH ’ s Public Health Laboratory ( PHL ) went from the inability to perform on-site COVID-19 testing in early 2020 to its current ability to process 3,000 to 3,500 specimens a day with the help of its partners . This was accomplished through the acquisition of state-of-the-art equipment , and modernization and physical expansion of its molecular testing capability . In addition , the ADH has established COVID-19 molecular surveillance capabilities , allowing us to detect the presence of novel COVID-19 variants without the need to send specimens out of state . Our PHL can process 400 specimens weekly to determine their genotype . The ADH has worked to ensure equitable distribution and access to COVID-19 vaccines since they became available in December of 2020 while continuing to communicate to Arkansans the safety and effectiveness of these vaccines . By the end of 2021 , 1,526,367 individuals were fully vaccinated for COVID-19 , with an additional 296,873 having received at least one dose of vaccine . In total , ADH administered 3,711,001 vaccine doses through its local health units and statewide partnerships with health care providers .
During this time , the ADH also continued its efforts to reach out to people across the state through its Be Well Arkansas initiative for tobacco cessation and referral to community hypertension and diabetes resources , which launched in November 2018 . In 2021 , 3,249 Arkansans were enrolled in the tobacco cessation counseling program , with an estimated 21 % quit rate . There were 1,234 Arkansans referred to community hypertension resources , and 535 Arkansans referred to community diabetes resources . The Arkansas Legislature also passed Tobacco-21 legislation , which increased the minimum purchase age for tobacco products in Arkansas to age 21 at the end of 2021 .
Arkansas ranks first and eighth , respectively , among states with the highest death rates due to heart attack and stroke in the nation . In 2021 , efforts to address stroke included : ( a ) certifying ten facilities as Arkansas Stroke Ready Hospitals designated by the ADH , ( b ) supporting the certification of over 300 health care providers to receive the Advanced Stroke Life Support ( ASLS ) credential , and ( c ) conducting quality improvement visits with hospitals to help healthcare providers find and close gaps inpatient care .
Programs to reduce heart attack , STsegment elevation myocardial infarction ( STEMI ), mortality in 2021 included : ( a ) expanding participation in the Arkansas Heart Attack Registry to now include 72 hospitals ; ( b ) supporting a realtime mobile communications platform across the state to improve STEMI care coordination between EMS and hospitals ; and ( c ) certifying 58 paramedics to become instructors in the Acute Coronary Syndrome ( ACS ) curriculum to improve recognition of STEMI in the field among Arkansas pre-hospital providers .
The ADH also continued its response to an ongoing outbreak of hepatitis A among high-risk individuals , including people who use drugs , persons experiencing homelessness , and men who have sex with men ( MSM ). Since February 2018 , 1,319 cases have been reported to the ADH . Cases have been predominantly white ( 91 %), male ( 63 %), and recreational drug users ( 49 %). The ADH has responded to the outbreak by providing targeted hepatitis A vaccination campaigns in counties and risk populations disproportionately impacted . Thus far , more than 35,000 individuals have been vaccinated at mass clinics , jails , homeless shelters , substance misuse treatment centers , and other settings .
There were 276 persons reported as newly infected with human immunodeficiency virus ( HIV ) in Arkansas in 2019 . That same year , an additional 130 persons were reported as newly acquired immunodeficiency syndrome ( AIDS ) cases . The U . S . Department of Health and Human Services ’ Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U . S . ( EHE ) Initiative , which started in 2019 , has a goal to eliminate the HIV epidemic in the United States by 2030 . The goal is to ensure a 75 % reduction in new HIV infections in five years and at least a 90 % reduction in new HIV infections in 10 years through early detection of those who are infected but remain undiagnosed . The ADH efforts integrate with and support ongoing HIV prevention initiatives to target this cohort . Another aspect of the initiative is to offer individuals at high risk for HIV infection with Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis ( PrEP ). The ADH is exploring options to identify these high-risk individuals who may benefit from PrEP and at the same time
190 THE JOURNAL OF THE ARKANSAS MEDICAL SOCIETY